Beyond Blue Skies
by NamelessMoonshine
Summary: The story of ARK, of the tragedy that took place there, and the life of the Ultimate Lifeform. But with a bit of a twist, because it isn't Shadow who tells the story, but....
1. The Blonde Hair You Like

Disclaimer: I don't own them. THERE! I said it!! HAPPY?!

This is _Beyond Blue Skies_, the dedication I've been quipping bout for the past, I dunno, months or so? Finally got it up, and will be continuing it alongside _Disappear_ whenever I don't feel like typing bout Tikal, Chaos, and the rest of them. Then I'll just write ARK stuff, cause who _doesn't_ want more Shadow? O-o

Shadow: Me.

You don't count, it's a biased vote.

Shadow: I really hate you....

Of course you do, dear. :) -sneezes- Ugh there goes my allergies again. Stupid fur.

Shadow: A blessing in disguise...

_

* * *

_

_"Shadow, I beg of you, please do it for me... for a better future!"  
  
"Maria!"  
  
"For all people who live on that planet! Please, give them a chance to be happy...let them live for their dreams."_

_"....no, Maria...No!"_

_"..please, Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world..."_

_"No! Maria! NO!!"_

_".....Sayonara........Shadow the Hedgehog."_

_"MARIA!!"_

* * *

Pitch-black abyss dotted by shining specks zipped pass on the other side of the thick, and yet just barely transparent, window. In truth, it was really better as a mirror with the dark background of outer space. She could see her golden hair outlined in the obscure window and after a little dimness where her ivory skin would be, her bright blue eyes stared back at her, blinking only when she did. Normally she would continue to simply stare at her reflection for hours on these long trips, but this was no normal journey. Space! She was in space, of all places! The black unknown, the final frontier! Everything was new and exciting, but at the same time, billions of years old! How many people got to experience something like this? According to her parents, not very many. In fact, she was currently one of the youngest travelers into space at this time, since it was awfully hard to get permission in the first place. Her father said often that Grandpa had to pull quite a few strings to get them up here.

Grandpa.

Thanks to him, she was going up in space, for the first time in her five year-old life. This was an adventure beyond the ones she'd played back home on Earth, with all her friends. She couldn't wait to get back and tell everyone about space and how big and beautiful it was. Nothing like the silly white dots on black construction paper she'd drawn once in art class. The teacher was right about drawing a lot of things, like it didn't look right when you put a green flower on grass, or made the sky white and the clouds blue, or even when coloring a house, don't color outside the lines, but that whole lecture about how stars should be drawn white was all wrong. She was seeing so many colors out here that she couldn't wait to tell her class just how wrong an almighty grown-up could be.

"Maria, honey, look..." Her mother's arm appeared in the corner of her eye and Maria swerved her blonde head to look in the indicated direction. Past the reflective glass, a tremendous circular mass of metal slowly rotated. Her small, pale hands pressed against the window and her already large blue eyes widened. It was glorious, far more beautiful than the clinking hunk of scrap she was on right now. The colony was a shining lord of space, a world all its own. A smile spread across her face as the observation deck window came into view. There! There was Grandpa, looking out of the window as eagerly as she! She broke into frantic waves and screaming, only to be shushed harshly by her mother.

"Don't get so excited, we'll be there soon!" Her mother scolded, tugging her arm gently. "Make sure you have your seatbelt on, we're docking."

So Maria plunked back into her seat with a loud huff, and rebuckled that belt that her grandfather once said cost more lives than saved. Of course he meant robotic lives, which her father often corrected her and him by saying no electronic equipment was alive. To which Maria and her Grandpa would give each other a long, meaningful glance, communicating silently about how wrong her father was. They both held the same opinion of robotics, and opposed the world with it. And it was that outlook that had made her grandfather the world's leading respect in robotics, and genetics.

She couldn't wait to see him again.

-0-

"Grandpa!! Grandpa, look, look!! We came!!" The second she was out into the 'open' air of the space colony, she broke into a wild dash for her grandfather, shrieking so loudly that many of the resident scientists swore that their glass test-tubes cracked.

But Professor Gerald Robotnik was equal to his frenzied granddaughter and, as soon as she was within reach, snatched her up off the ground to swing her up into the air and around the room, laughing, his strange, almost savage sounding guffaw chorusing with her highly-pitched giggles. It was a rather touching reunion flight that ended in a strong hug from the elderly man. Finally they parted and Maria's parents, who had taken their time disembarking, reached the two. Both received warm welcomes from the senior scientist before delving into exchanges of recent and even out-dated happenings.

In the end, Maria was left to amuse herself amidst the echoing, iron halls of the ARK while the adults talked. Her grandfather promised that as soon as they finished their 'boring grown-up stuff' he'd get to spend time with her, but not until then. _Protocol first, Maria,_ He always said, and though she was five, she understood. She'd once refused to wait on an earlier visit last year, and the professor had sat her down and explained that in space, everything had to go a certain way. If it didn't, he explained, the results could hurt people. Even kill.

So, she had to wait.

But that didn't mean she had to be bored, now did it? There were hundreds of rooms on the ARK, and thanks to previous visits, she knew where most things were. But the colony was always receiving new things, and that meant she had to re-explore everything each time she was there. It made for a great past-time, and was interesting as well. Drawing was fun too of course, but guessing what a funny looking machine did was constantly rewarding as well.

Perhaps there is such thing as fate, since for no reason she could think of, she backtracked. She'd been on her way to the emergency launching bay, a place were blinking lights and buttons were fun to make silly rhymes to the tune of, when something bright-red had caught her eye. She turned back, but nothing was behind her, except a glass window that opened into the experiment observatory, where her grandfather and fellow workers tested out new theories, equipment, and the occasional living creature.

Thanks to her grandfather, all of ARK's doorway access panels were compatible with her DNA, so she could get into any room that didn't have a pre-coded genetic lock on it, in which case only Grandpa and his co-workers could go inside. She placed her hand on the panel, and smiled when the door gave way. Stepping into the room quickly, so she wouldn't be caught when the door 'swished' closed, Maria took the time to glance eagerly around the room, searching out the red she noticed earlier. The was nothing but a blank, white room, illuminated by the stream of brilliant light from the ceiling.

She sighed in disappointment, and turned to leave, intent on returning to her quest to go to the launching bay, but froze in place when she saw _it_.

It was a monster.

To a five year-old, many things are monsters: frogs, snakes, and most unfamiliar foods. However, I think that one would be extremely hard pressed to find anyone of any age who did not find the creature looming above the small child to indeed be the very definition of a monster.

The monster was a large reptile, a lizard of one kind or another, with wrinkled orange skin that showed large veins running beneath it, a large metal tank on its back, and gaping, pitch-black holes for eyes that reflected the frightened girl's face back to her.

Maria whimpered and backed away, coming into contact with the wall sooner than she would have liked. The lizard was between her and the door, and it was advancing forward in an awkward, lumbering sort of way. Her mouth and throat went dry, and try as she might, she couldn't make a sound, let alone scream for help. It probably wouldn't have mattered, the thing would kill her any minute now, long before any sort of assistance could've arrived.

Or at least, that's what _would've_ happened...

Maria didn't really see much of what had happened. In fact, she only witnessed flashes of light, and barely even those. Somehow though, in the span of a few moments, the reptile was lying on the floor, and a strange new creature stood before her.

It was a hedgehog, black-furred, with red winking into existence here and there, head spines upturned, unnatural for its kind she was sure. Its back was turned to her, so that was really all she could tell about him. Then he looked over his shoulder at her, and strange, deep crimson eyes pierced into her sky blue ones. He turned fully then and kneeled in front of her, never blinking.

Maria stared back, unable to look away. This creature had saved her, but for what purpose? What did it want?

The hedgehog reached out slowly, and Maria drew back, squeezing her eyes shut and expecting something to happen, something awful or painful, perhaps what had happened to the monster. Instead, she felt her hair gently being pulled away from her face, and opened one eye to see the furry peering at her in curiosity. It took her hand in its, and tugged her, signaling her to stand. She paused a moment, but obeyed.

The minute she was standing, it started to inspect her hair more closely, examining everything about her. Maria shied away at first, but then let him explore at her hair and laughed when he tried to undo the small hair-clip bow her mother had placed in her golden locks before they left Earth to come up to the colony.

Suddenly she heard the swishing noise of the doors, and someone calling her name. Everything was soon chaotic, people in white coats tugging at her, her mother crying, her father screaming at Grandpa that they shouldn't have let her out of their sight, the yelps of the frightened hedgehog, her grandfather trying to defend his creations.

In the midst of it all, trapped in her mother's arms, Maria saw the hedgehog reaching for her, as scared and bewildered as she, trying to fight away the humans around it to return to her. And she reached for him as well, catching hold of his hand for a few moments, and then being pulled away by what seemed like a hundred hands, the door sliding closed as a needle entered the hedgehog's outstretched arm and it slowly gave in, resisting until it collapsed and the metal door swished its way shut on the scene.

And all the while, they both reached.

* * *

Do. Not. Ask. This is the beginning of a maybe...two, three chapter thing if I want to continue it. Maybe I will, and maybe not, review and we'll see. This, like _Disappear_, has no real fixed path, though where it ends is pretty much planned, which can't be said for _Disappear_. If you haven't read it yet go do so. Then you can vote on what you think should happen next, cause I'm lost. I just flow along. And I need to get a Beta reader.

Back to _Beyond Blue _Skies, personally, I like how it came out, and how spiffy-ness it seems to be. If you find something you want altered, talk about it in the review, and I'll see what I can do. ;) After all, I am the ultimate authority in my fics. Buwah! Fear me!

Shadow: I can't believe you sometimes...

Yeah, I'm just so awesome.

Shadow: That's not what I meant....


	2. Eyes Like The Sky

Disclaimer: Maria isn't mine, and neither is Shadow or Gerald. The general story outline isn't either, but these circumstances of this version are, so if you take them, I will cry. And if you make me cry I'll send my Nameless Muse after you.

The Nameless Muse: Oh yeah, like _I'll_ fight your battles for you.

I could always make you a hedgehog again. True, you make an awesome human bishonen with those black wings and the cool, dark hair, but you do just as good work as a hedgehog.

The Nameless Muse: Despite the fact that you can't draw me in either form.

Shut up, or I'm changing you into a talking green pile of mush.

The Nameless Muse: Shutting up.

Good boy. Now for some review answers, cause I haven't done them in forever and a day. -ahem-

**Dragoness Fei** - Yes, yes, praise me, for I am the shiz... -does weird-like godly pose- Though I must disagree on my story being better than your _Shadows Of The Heart_, since I got the inspiration of this fic from you and numerous other writers. Plus lots of downloaded information and some random Sonic X episodes....

**Golbezandcrew** - Well, as you can see I wrote more :D Now review some more and we'll both be pleased!

**::"Just" Nen::** - Yeah yeah, we're all very impressed Jenny. Now if you'd live up to your word and read the _other_ what, twelve or so stories you promised you would? But I luff you, cause your my bride. -lick-

**Celestial the Hedgird** - Hah! Another crazed fangirl like myself! I'll just add you to the list, and soon the rabid Shadow fans will rule! -evil laughter-

**KiumuRo-Ku-Bee** - Well, I wouldn't know about cute. He's more like annoying when he gets into my brains. All that silent brooder stuff? It's a lie. I can _never_ get him to shut up. Stupid muses...

Shadow: HEY!!

**Dragon Master Naya** - Hey, it's you! I saw you on Deviantart, splendid stuffs there. And yay for Ness, cause it is just so cool.

**gohan11** - The person of few words, allow me to answer with one of my own: awesome.

**Chaos Flower** - Hiya, haven't seen you around but I guess the vacation probably messed up your schedule real good. Glad to hear you like my story, but the Biohazard one ish rockin' happy-like. And I saw you on Deviantart too. (Nice job Flower, breaking priceless Ming vases like that. -rolls eyes- :p)

And now, on with the show, cause you all are just _dying_ to shut me up and get to reading. :p

* * *

_"Sometimes, I find myself wondering what my purpose is...why I was created. And, I think maybe, if I go down there to Earth....I'll find the answers I'm looking for...maybe..."_

* * *

Among the metallic walls of the space colony ARK, silence reigned above all else. Maria Robotnik had learned this at a very young age, almost seven years ago, when she'd found out that her visit to the steel and iron fortress was to be her last. Not because she would never return, on the contrary. The blonde haired girl was now forever trapped inside of the scientific breakthrough, the greatest masterpiece in all history. Trapped, by her own weakness.

Maria had been diagnosed with a severe illness called Neuro Immunodeficiency Syndrome, also known as NIDS, from birth, but her parents were informed that with proper care, she would stay healthy, and there would be no need for extreme measures. However, in the end, they found she would be safer on ARK, were disease did not easily rear its ugly, and for Maria, fatal head. So after a tearful farewell, and great persuading on Professor Robotnik's part, her parents descended to Earth, leaving Maria with her grandfather on the colony.

It was the last time she saw them.

In the middle of its journey back to Earth, the shuttle Maria's parents had ridden on had somehow been damaged, supposedly by an unseen dent in the outer hull near where the bulky liquid fuel was kept. The area's shielding had been thinned, and during the trip to Earth, it broke open, sucking all of the fuel out of the shuttle. At the same time, the planet's gravitational field seized control of the ship, bringing the metal bulk down to land in an infused mass of steel and flesh. There were no survivors.

Maria was an orphan, but her parents' guardianship had already been passed to her grandfather prior to the accident, so there was no federal fuss to struggle through. Maria had become quiet and withdrawn in the years after her parents' demise, keeping to herself, which was made remarkably easy by the large colony, and small scientist crew.

The girl was positive that her selfish wish to keep her parents was what took them away, and as a result, relinquished all her former desires, focusing on one in particular: to help all the people of the Earth, in a way that would keep them all safe and happy forever. She could never achieve this she knew, but she tried as hard as she could to help everyone on the ARK, in little ways that were noticed, and praised.

However, it was not the wish that kept her going, but a search.

As Maria grew and matured, she never forgot what had happened so many years ago, when she had been saved from certain death by a strange hedgehog. She used every advantage she had to find out more about him, but there wasn't much information to locate. Most of the notes she read on her grandfather's computer had to do the prototype Ultimate Lifeform, which she learned was the monster lizard who would've killed her had it not been for the hedgehog's intervention.

She did however find one promising file, stating that the original Ultimate Lifeform, codenamed Project: Shadow, was placed under dormant conditions after an experiment that failed when outside factors were brought into play without the over-seer's knowledge.

On the same date as the incident.

Maria had been taught from a child to never believe in coincidence, and concluded that that two were one and the same. After that it was simply a matter of finding the Project: Shadow's actual location on ARK, a quest which at first had seemed wonderfully simple, since the file had contained a link to information on that as well. Not entirely to her surprise, the location she sought was locked from her DNA, and well guarded. While Maria was ahead of most young people her age in the mental sense, she was not as much of a genius as her grandfather when it came to computers. So she bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment.

It finally came.

Because her grandfather had spent the last several years experimenting diligently on the Prototype, the creature had grown to a colossal size, almost four times as large as it had been when it had nearly done her in. In all that time, it's temper hadn't improved at all. In fact if it was four times larger, it was certainly ten times as foul tempered. As a result, it had to be constantly monitored, and could not be subjected to pure Chaos energy. So whenever the thing threw a fit, every scientist and guard went straight to it.

Such was the perfect time to free her savior.

The fit was particularly violent that day, it shook the entire colony, and the roaring the creature made was deafening. It probably forced the walls to tremble more the the monster stomping and throwing itself against the wall did.

It took longer than she'd hoped to bypass the genetic block, but when she finally did get through, she was beyond amazed. The large was twice as large as the observation deck, where she'd spent most of her free time staring down at the beautiful blue planet the colony revolved around, and by far dimmer. All around its perimeter, were computers and severs, lined neatly and so well that most of the floor was left bare.

And in the very center of the room, was a large tank, filled with an acidic yellow fluid, in which floated the silhouette....of a hedgehog.

Maria rushed to the cylinder and used her sleeve to wipe away the condensation that had formed on the glass. Her sleeve immediately clung to her skin, wet with the frigid water, but she took no notice. She squinted into the smeared glass, and slowly a triumphant smile crept its way across her face, for beyond the clear shield, hooked with multiple wirings and fitted with a mask for air, was the same red streaked hedgehog from her childhood.

She began to bustle about the room, tapping the password in every lock and computer console she came to, all of which were the same, as her grandfather had insisted on. What was even stranger was that the password was, in fact, Maria's own name in computer language.

After everything was unlocked, a loud hissing sound filled the room, the sound of the liquid draining from the capsule. As soon as it had reached a low enough level, the glass slid upward, and the hedgehog, which had been lowered to partially stand, and somewhat lean on the glass, fell forward, wires and mask still attached. The blonde preteen hurriedly pulled away the wires, grimacing as the small animal gave muffled whimpers into her thick jacket-like vest. Finally the mask was yank away, much to the hedgehog's obvious discomfort. The creature gagged and coughed heavily, clutching her like a lifeline.

Maria gave him time to recover, knowing that he wouldn't be active right away. He'd been locked up for several years, and she doubted that her dear grandfather had ever taken him out of the tank during that time period. So instead of rushing the furry to his feet, she cradled him gently, smiling when his eyelids twitched and pulled back to reveal the same brilliant crimson eyes she seen at the age of five.

He seemed unfocused for a while, an eternity to Maria's stiffening arms. However, the moment he began to push away from her to see his surroundings, it felt like it had only been seconds ago. The half-unconscious hedgehog struggled to his feet, nearly tripping over them, and turned to try and peer at her face.

He made a movement to reach for her hair, but Maria intercepted his hand and placed her palm against his. The furry stared blurrily at their hands, before switching his gaze back to his rescuer. Maria smiled back at him.

"I'm Maria." She said softly, taking her hand away and running it over the red stripe on his foremost center quill, smile growing at the sound of his sleepy purr. "Pleased to meet you, Shadow..." The hedgehog suddenly leaned heavily against her, chest still rumbling as he fell asleep. She continued petting him even as she pushed herself to her feet, humming a soft lullaby while rocking him gently. She'd only just stepped into the hallway when she heard her grandfather's voice from behind her.

"What are you doing...?"

* * *

And that's a wrap for chapter two!

Sonic: .......

Shadow: What are you doing?

Sonic: ...thinking....

O-o ...that's kinda scary.....

Sonic: ..no, it's just...you and the Nameless Muse have the same initials...

Shadow: ..you just now noticed? We've been stuck here a year almost. Isn't that right, Moonshine?

.... o--o

Shadow: ....Um...Moonshine?

....................wow..........we really _do_ have the same initials....

Shadow: -.-'


	3. Your Smile Was So Kind

Disclaimer: I don't own Maria, Shadow, or anyone of these peoples. The story isn't even mine, and I believe I shall cry.

Alright! I got it done, and just in time too; I'm so proud of myself. In fact, I'm so very proud that I'll make you all suffer through some review answers, cause I'm horrible and stuff! :D

**Person Who's Name Consists Of Ten Question Marks** - Sweetheart, calm down and use spaces, ok? If you get hyper, I'll get hyper and then you won't be able to read this fic, 'cause, for reasons unknown to me, I write in HTML when I'm hyper. Really bad HTML, and you won't understand a word cause I don't. Recently, I found out I write it in Latin. I don't even speak Latin. O---o Or study, or know much about it. And the grammar I use! OH MY GOSH, don't get my started on the grammar!! -.-'

**eggboy** - Aw, you feel sorry for him? Really? Oo Hmmm...maybe I should lighten up on him, eh? ....maybe....just a little................nah....Nice to see he has some support to get him through this though.

**kai the hedgehog** - Yay!! It luvs you too, and will love you even MORE if you come back and review. As in now. No, down....go down, review. I don't CARE if you haven't read the story yet, give two reviews. One before, one after. In fact, why don't you ALL give two? Right now.

You're...eh....not reviewing. -eye twitches-

**Sonik fan** - -eyebrow twitches cause you like Sonic more- Well, I guess you _are_ entitled to your own fav character...even if Shadow is obviously cooler. And Sonic Team MUST love him more, because they didn't want to ruin his character by keeping him alive and disrupting the sequence of the storyline with his presense and reducing him to a forever mourning, regretting heap like that DBZ creator did to Vegeta. Only seen two full episodes of Dragon Ball Z people, the one where Veggie first shows (Lord, the destruction was awesome) and the one where he died cause of Frieza and was crying while he went. Not cool, Veg, not coool.

Shadow: They could've just had me disappear. Or come back and say I needed to go and find myself....or _something_....-.o

You're right, they could've, huh? Stratch that, they definately like Sonic more. Besides, Blue-boy has more games and merchandise.

Sonic: On the other had, if _I'm_ so loved, why does _Shadow_ get more attention from the fans?!

Good point....

**DragonessFei** - Lesse, the Sonic X episodes are off Ares and sonicanime .net. The information is from a number of sites, so you can go to like, Google or somewhere and type 'Shadow's Story' or you can go to sonicanime and go into the link with the Chao on the pic. Kojichan has a Shadow site linked on there somewhere. And, girl, dear heart, stop changing your naaaaame! i-i I can't remember them all, my single brain cell only works so well, you know! And 90 percent of what I've got in here... -knocks on head, making hollow noise- ...is useless Shadow junk that can't really be incorporated into any fics. For instance, did you know his favorite color is lavendar?

Shadow: LIAR!! IT IS NOT!!

You're just saying that. I saw the curtains, I know you really feel... -giggle-

Shadow: Those were _ROUGE'S_ curtains, you stupid bald biped! I was picking them up from the drycleaner for her!!

Uh huh, suuuuuuuuuuuuuure....

**LoneGunGirl88** - Hmm, well Maria does and doesn't get in trouble. Trouble is such a vague term. Anyway, read and see if it's to your tastes!! :)

**Golbezandcrew** - Hmmm....if I can tickle your heart, what is to stop me from entering your head and taking over your MIND!!! -concentrates, but suceeds in only tickling her brain cell- AGH!! MY BRAAAAAIIIIN!! IT IIIIIITCHES!!!!! -runs around, trying to scratch it-

The Nameless Muse: Oooh, a show!! -watches, eating popcorn-

**Dragon Master Naya** - Don't die! Or you'll stop drawing and writing and reviewing and I shall be very sad! i-i Please don't make me sad, I'll develop a s-stutter. P-P-Puh-PLEASE don't do this to meee?

Sonic: Faker.

Shadow: You're one to talk. -.-

Sonic: What's _that_ supposed to mean?!

**gohan11** - HEY!! I was expecting another short review! O-o But, I got a long one, which is even better!! Yaaaay! And I wish I would update this more frequently, and my other stuff too, but it's not as esay as it looks, trust me. I haven't slept in days.... i---i

**ChaosFlower** -I know you didn't review, but you did help me in the IM we had, thanks for the music idea, my revenge is complete!!! ....okay, I didn't _really_ erase my sister's music, but I DID move it all to a differentfile on the computer, so now she can't find it! :p Technically, it's all the same, right? She still has no music! HAHAHA!!

* * *

_"Don't speak of her like you know! You know _nothing_ about Maria! She was kind...and good, innocent! Now she's _dead_! She was perfect, the _only_ perfect human, my best friend! Maria was the most wonderful thing that could've happened to me, and it was humans like you who took her away! You _murdered_ her, and you deserve to die for it!!"_

* * *

"What are you doing...?"

Maria stiffened, clutching the still groggy hedgehog in her arms, and fretfully biting her lower lip. She had spent so long planning this moment, preparing herself for this day when she could save her own rescuer and hide him from the eyes of those whom would lock him up again, the second time permanently. Now that her Grandfather, understanding and dear to her though he was, had seen her, he would surely take Shadow away, and modify the locks so she would never again free him. She swallowed hard, trying to ready herself for a lecture.

"What is in your hands?"

Maria held in a gasp, eyes wide and sparkling with hope and terror. Had he not noticed that she held his experiment in her arms? Could she keep him from realizing what she truly held, or would he see through any tricks and know? Could she, would she, lie to her wonderful Grandfather?

"It's...it's just a toy..." Maria mumbled, trying to make the matter seemed unimportant. "One of the scientists....gave it to me....."

"Which one?" She knew she couldn't give him a name, he would ask any specified person.

"I-I'm not sure....I've been a-asking around, trying to figure it out..." She stuttered, hardly able to choke out the words. She balled her fists into the jet-black fur and felt the smaller form twist slightly in her grasp. Maria loosened her grip, but not before she heard a soft whimper. Her mind fought to think up an excuse for the noise, but before she could, the small body shivered and a loud cough echoed through the hallway. Her face paled, losing what little color her face had retained after so many years out of the sun, and she hurried to try and run down the corridor to her chambers on the opposite side of the colony. After all, for a sickly human child, she could run pretty fast.

Her grandfather however, was faster.

Gerald had the young girl by the arm in seconds, and spun her around halfway, freezing when he saw the hedgehog she clung to. His face twisted with a hundred different emotions, everything from fear to disbelief to disgust, before finally settling on a baffled sort of enragement. His hand raised up behind him, and for a moment, Maria was sure that the outraged professor would indeed strike her, though he'd never done such a thing before, no matter what he caught her getting into. But in the instant his balled fist was at its highest and she was postive it was about to come crashing down against the side of her face, the weight in her arms disappeared, and everything froze as a low, hoarse growl filled the air.

Standing between Maria and the outstreched hand of the professor was the experiment, snarling and bearing his teeth, fur on end, crouched down as though about to leap up and tear out the scientist's throat.

Gerald gave a startled gasp and stepped back, forgetting to shift his weight evenly and losing his balance. His experiment moved forward, lips still pulled back to show off the sharp canines and quills straight and ready to bury themselves into any skin they came into contact with. Gerald sputtered from the floor, obviously at a loss with what to do. His creation gave a growl that rumbled from the back of his throat and pounced, causing the professor to launch himself backward in an attempt to get away and press his back against the wall. The project landed where the human had been sitting only seconds ago, growling to himself in frustration, angry for miscalculating, before making ready for another try.

"No!!"

Maria, sensing the danger her grandfather was in, moved to stand between him and the attacking hedgehog, not knowing for sure what the experiment might do if he got hold of her elderly relative, but guessing that it wouldn't be comfortable for him.

_In fact,_ Maria thought. _He might try to do to Grandfather what he did to the Prototype!_

But even as she rushed forward to defend her grandfather, the Ultimate Lifeform sprang forward to carry out his vengence against the scientist. They collided and Maria's momentum from the sideways angle she'd ran from carried them onward in her direction, and sent them tumbling. Maria ended up on the bottom their tussling masses, and would've landed first, painful for the crippled girl, but at the last second, Shadow switched their positions and landed on his feet, the blonde girl in his arms, before letting her drop to the silvery floor.

Maria toppled to the ground, staring up at the hedgehog, who glared right back, apparently angry with her interference. Maria pulled herself around to fully face him and clasped her hands together, making sure she was between him and her Grandfather.

"Please, leave him be! He meant no harm!" She pleaded, staring deep into his crimson eyes for some sign of pity. "He's a good person, really, just a little rough around the edges. He meant nothing by it!"

If the stony hedgehog heard her, it did not register on his face. Instead, his countenance remained as it was, cold and silent, a deep frown cutting through his muzzle, fierce scarlet glaring behind narrowed lids, arms at his sides, and fists clenched. Maria searched through his gaze and tried to pull out some shred of mercy. She _knew_ she could reach the hedgehog if she tried, he couldn't hate her grandfather so much. No one could truly hate anyone so very much, could they?

_No._ Maria decided. _They could not._

But she couldn't help but wonder, for Shadow had been trapped for seven years, and that time of captivity had made him so very angry that he would try to strike down her grandfather, imagine how much more angry he would've been after another day? If she had waited longer, had released him tomorrw, next month, next year, how much more would he be starved for his revenge? He might've simply gone on a massive killing spree, and butchered everyone, even her. But she had saved him _today_, and perhaps, even after all this time, some small bit of the hedgehog who had saved her before remained, for she could not believe that this creature attacking her grandfather was truly the same hedgehog whom she had tried so desperately to help all these years. Still, he had to be under all that anger....somewhere...

Maria pressed her hands more tightly together, and tried to make him see her, to look at her. The hedgehog glared just as furiously as before, and Maria could hear her grandfather mumbling something very, very softly. No doubt Shadow could also hear it.

"Please!" She whispered as urgently as she could, and the hedgehog's stare fixated on her. She tried not to shudder. "Please....for me...?"

Then she saw him, and knew he truly saw her.

Almost at once, the glare softened, and the hedghog's ears went back. She smiled and threw her arms around him, drawing him into a tight embrace, which the smaller anthro returned gently, much more so than she had thought he could've. She buried her face into the pitch fur and gave a slight gasp when Shadow carefully pushed her off. Before she could go back too far however, he caught her by the wrist and held her upright. Then he pressed his free hand against her palm and smirked at her. She stared at their hands in surprise, having thought he was too asleep to know what had happened at the time. He released her wrist and brought up his other palm to meet her now free one, then did the most amazing thing of all.

"Pleased to meet _you_, Maria..."

Her face broke into a full blown grin when she heard that, and behind her, Gerald Robotnik gasped loudly, whereas he'd been mostly quiet the last few minutes. Maria ignored him, and the two, human and hedgehog, beamed at each other.

Then Shadow's head jerked around, and his ears swiveled around to follow, pricking forward in the direction he faced. Maria looked also, not understanding at first, but soon hearing what the bionic creation had: the sound of many feet coming closer and closer. It dawned on Maria then that her Grandfather must've been calling for help earlier; he usually had a small communicator on him for emergencies, and the breaking out, or rather assistance in escaping, of this most valuable experiment was probably to be considered a rather serious catastrophe by all the scientists aboard the ARK.

The human crowd, about twelve people in all, a small few armed with tranquilizers, rounded the last corner and came toward them. Shadow's eyes narrowed in anger, and Maria grasped his hands firmly, hoping to keep him from going after them. These people were all her friends, were kind to her and helped raise her. Maria was pratically related to all of them, her scientist-surrogate family. She couldn't bear to see them hurt, and if Shadow did something to them...

...she couldn't even let herself think about it.

"Stay...stay back..." Maria's blonde head whipped around to look at her grandfather, who was using the wall to hoist himself up, his right hand extended out in the universal symbol for _halt_, obviously the speaker. "Leave them be...my granddaughter has taken care of it."

Shadow was also looking at the human, his expression unreadable. The eyes of the creator and creation met, and there was silence, the static in the space between them almost visible as they sized each other up, and came to a very complex, and yet agreeable, compromise of understandings. They would tolerate each other, for the small blonde child between them, looking back and forth as they reached their respective decisions. They knew that they needed the other to be able to keep her. They would exist together as long as it meant staying near her. Shadow gave him the smallest nod possible for his quilled head.

Gerald moved foreward slowly and placed his large hand, as Shadow's eyes followed closely and suspiously, upon Maria's blonde head, who beamed up at him, knowing that it would all be fine now; Shadow was free and would not be placed back into the cold statis chamber to float amongst the chemicals until the research was done. He would be free, and together they would someday escape the second prison that was the metallic, yet life-giving, grip of the space colony. Someday, they would all go to Earth and be free forever of the cold depths of colorful darkness which she had longed to see so long ago, but now only thought of leaving.

And her grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, looked down at them as they clasped their hands together tightly, as though afraid to ever let go, lest they lose one another, and saw their unbreakable bond, the crippled child desiring her freedom, the powerful anthromorph wanting, no, _needing_ the same, and understood. He watched their smiles and shared secrects as Maria hugged and held the hedgehog he had born from pure energy into fur and flesh, watched as the furry helped her to her feet and as she led him away, through the little mob he'd called for help, and knew.

Everything was going to change...

* * *

Okay, that's it for today....I mean, tonight. Or something. Geez-zus, it's almost twelve. O-O I'm gonna go to bed now, okay? I mean, if I don't sleep today, or...um...tonight, I might not see tomorrow...or...well....now it's today. SCREW IT!!!

Review, though, okay?

And remember!! -holds up two fingers- TWICE!!!


	4. Everything Was So Nice

Disclaimer: We know I don't own Shadow or Maria, because I've said it before. I would think you'd have got the picture by now... o-O

Okay, time for a rant. Lately, I've slowly, but surely, become somewhat obsessed with to other characters of the Sonic The Hedgehog series. Cream The Rabbit and Maria Robotnik have slowly been seeping their ways into my heart, and Bil's of course, along with Vanilla. Anyway, I think I've come to understand exactly why I'm coming to like them so very much.

Leverage.

Think of it: both of them are innocent and have burned their way into the hearts of the two fastest hedgehogs around. Maria probably got anything she wanted on ARK while Shadow was around simply by implying it.

**Maria: I'm hungry  
_ZOOOOOOOM!_  
Shadow: -back with gourmet meal- Here you are...my...queen -heart vision-**

He wanted to destroy the world for her! What does this tell you, guys?

And for Cream it's even easier. I have info for a gaming friend who tells me that _whenever_ Cream cries in this one game (no idea which; might be fan or original), while fighting Robotnik, Sonic comes and does the work FOR her!! He beats Robotnik and Cream is still titled winner. Can we say 'slave labor?' Thought so.

But, look at the opportunities!! Cream's tired, Sonic tucks her in; Maria's sad, Shadow acts like a clown for her! They could probably have the two jumping off cliffs to make them happy, and what fangirl _doesn't_ want that power?!

**Maria: Shadow? .....I'd like a bunny.....  
_ZOOOOOM!!!_  
Shadow: -finds and cooks Cream-  
Maria: .....O-O'  
Shadow: Here you are....my love... -heart vision-  
Sonic: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  
Shadow: Bugger off Faker!!**

-evil grin- Oh the possibilities....oh right! Review answers for the fans! Almost forgot... '

**Celestial the Hedgird** - Thank you, it is getting better, isn't it? Lot's of little people in this review, your muses I presume? They all contradict each other, can't keep an opinion or answer in my head... -.-'

**shadowgirl3000** - Thanks for the fav, but are you saying you don't like Maria? or is it really bad and the only reason you like it is because Shadow's part of the story? If so, how do I make it better? So confuuuuused!!!

**Midnight el Gatito** - Lesse, a week or three later! Oh of my most recent updatings, I'll assure you. It usually takes me a full month you know. :p Enjoy, okay?

**DragonessFei** - You don't have to _stop_ changing your name, if you don't want to. I just need you to stop doing it so fast; I get used to one name, and you suddenly go by another. Wait a while, and give me notice. Or just keep reminding me, I'll get the hang of it someday....maybe.

**Golbez&crew** - Yay, you wuff me!! :) And here you are in the review answers again, so REVIEW!! Muwhahahahahahahahaha!!!

**Dragon Master Naya** - Yay, you didn't die!! :) And poo on Fido! -shakes fist at doggy- How dare you keep me from getting extra reviews!! I'm going to take you away to the Net Vet and get you FIXED!!

Fido: -howls and whimpers-

**LoneGunGirl88** - Wow...I do believe that's the longest review I've gotten... Oo ...wow....your hands must hurt bunches after that rant, eh? Anyway, I'm happy you like how I protrayed everything, and thank you for the sleep wishes, I needed them. -all rested and bouncey- As for the tomorrow quote, I think I've translated it: if we didn't dream about what tomorrow is like, then it would bring about the end of the WORLD!!! So everyone, don't even think or use the word tomorrow and we'll see if it works!!

Shadow: You just used it....

......Maria's hungry.

Shadow: MY LOVE!!! _ZOOOOOOOM!!_

-snicker- :) I'm so evil.

* * *

_"What do you think it's like on Earth, Shadow? It must be so wonderful...I can't wait until I'm better, than I can go down there too."_

_"But...Maria, if you go, if you're there....you won't be here...with me..."_

_"Don't be silly, Shadow! I'd never just leave you up here all alone!! You'll be right there with me and Grandfather, and we'll see all the sights! Everything, oh Shadow, I can't wait!"_

* * *

After Shadow had been released from his statis, many things about ARK did indeed change. The Prototype was moved to a large hiatus chamber, due to the dangerously violent fits it had experienced as of late. Maria, though she had long habored a fear of the creature, felt guilty over its fate. Her grandfather however, assured her that it was for the best, since not only was the giant lizard a hazard to the safety of the colony's inhabitants, but it had been miserable, weak, and temperamental since it's creation. It would be more comfortable in hiatus, he said.

Second, now that the actual project was reactivated, all side studies were discontinued in favor of Shadow's completion. Meaning many labs were redone or all together abandoned by the scientists, including the observation deck, with its wall to wall window that gave an almost perfect view of Earth as the colony circled far above it.

The deck had quickly become one of Maria's favorite places on the station, mostly because of the afforementioned view of the beautiful planet whose colors swirled beneath the ARK as it revolved endlessly. The young girl could be found there at almost any time of the day, seated before the large pane and watching the blue sphere intently, longingly...

"Maria..?"

Her blonde turned around, followed by a slight twist of her upper torso, even though she already knew who the speaker was, her bright smile proving it.

"Hello Shadow. How'd the testing go?"

The black and crimson hedgehog sighed, coming to a halt beside her. "Well, I suppose. More injections, but the Professor says he's close." Shadow had gotten into the habit of calling Maria's grandfather, his own creator, by 'the Professor.' Maria often tried to convince him to refer to the elderly man as 'Grandfather' like she usually did, but he refused to title the man so affectionately; he was still somewhat miffed about his seven year nap. She'd given up after he said that.

"Hmmm..." Maria turned back to the window to watch the slow orbit of the Earth. Shadow's eyes followed her gaze.

"What do you think Shadow? Of the Earth..?" She watched him answer with a shrug out of the corner of her eyes and smiled.

"Living down there..." She sighed. "It must be so wonderful for all those people. I can't wait til I'm better, then I can see what it's like..."

"You've been there before. You told me."

"Yes, but that was a long time ago. People forget things after a long time. Little things, like how the grass feels when you lay down in it, and the woods smell after it rains...things you think you'll always have..." Maria's smile was still there, but the hedgehog could see it was just for show. Her eyes were crying, not with tears, for she held them back, but she was no longer smiling because she was happy.

Now she was just smiling so he wouldn't know she was sad...

He placed a hand on her shoulder, expression worried. Maria frowned slightly, eyes still trained on the planet below. She chewed on her lower lip for a second, and slowly she stood, brushing herself off. Shadow kept his gaze on her, his concern very plain. She smiled, this time with more meaning, looking back out the window.

"I can't wait until Grandfather finds the cure." She smiled. "Then we'll be able to go down to Earth. I'll show you everything Shadow, oh you can't imagine what it's like!"

"...wonderful?" Shadow asked, and eyebrow quirked. Maria laughed, and his worry dissolved.

"Yes, it's wonderful..." She said, covering her giggling mouth with a pale hand, her eyes losing their sad covering. Shadow smiled.

"By the way, I read the little magazine you showed me the other day..." He waved it at her, though from when it had appeared from, Maria had no clue. Shadow was always doing this like that; it was as if she had her own personal magician. She wouldn't have been surprised if a rabbit came tumbling out of his quills and pigeons from his gloves.

"You can _read_ now too?" The young girl's hand fell away as she gasped. Shadow smirked.

"And write, but that's still at a novice level..."

Maria felt her pride in her friend swell. He'd only been active for a short time, but she could tell that he was maturing mentally at a very fast pace. Her grandfather said he had to, in order to gain the knowledge of the world around him at a suitiable speed. The final piece of Project: Shadow, could not spend hours trying to figure out if it was safe to cross a street, or some such thing that any mere child would recognize. It had to be swift, sure, strong, and smart. It had to know and understand what was going on at all times.

"I wanted to ask you..." He began to flip through the pages and stopped on a particulary colorful one. "Is _this_ what Earth looks like?"

It was an ad for cameras, but the picture used featured a blinding array of magnificent colors that made a splendid picture of a bright garden in sunlight hours. Among the tulips, lilies, and other flowers was a couple and their baby boy, since it was obviously a boy, thanks to the little sailor outfit. The woman, a brunette in a yellow, flowing sundress was knelt down beside the child, helping him to take his first steps, while the other, a dark-skinned man in a navy suit, stood behind her with a small camera. Of to the side to the ad were the words: _It's a Kodak moment_!

Maria looked at the picture a long time, smiling. Shadow had only just gotten the magazine that morning, and already had read it and found her favorite picture. He really was amazing sometimes.

"Not exactly Shadow, but very close..." Maria said, pointing to the picture. "This is probably just one place on the planet you know. Not all of Earth looks like this."

"Do some of the other places look like this then?" He flipped a few more pages and pointed to a small picture beside the article. It was of a warzone, the information beside the photo talking about an attack on a school full of young children. There were bodies littered about in the picture, burnt buildings in the background, smoke blocking the sky.

"Yes, I'm sorry to say. There are some places like that, much as I wish there weren't." Maria sighed, fingers lingering on the picture. "Things like that happen a lot all over the planet, and there's always someone who's lost a person dear to them..."

"If bad things happen though....why do you want to go? Why not stay on ARK when you get better?" Shadow asked. "The Professor could make one of those other places up here and you wouldn't have to worry about even getting hurt. Nothing bad happens up here."

Maria's lips curved back upwards at this. For all his quick learning, Shadow was still blessed with the simple, innocence of childhood. His niavity would probably get him into trouble someday, but he had all the time in the world to understand it better.

"Shadow, things like this happen everywhere. Bad things...they just happen sometimes." She tried to think of one, but couldn't come up with a real crisis that had happened on ARK itself, except for one. "Remember when we first met...? How the Prototype had me cornered in the experiment lab...?" At his nod, she went on. "Well, if you hadn't stopped it, saved me, I might have been seriously hurt right then."

"Wouldn't that have been a bad thing?"

Shadow thought about it, before ansering.

"But, it _didn't_ happen." He pointed out, closing the magazine with a slapping sound. "So, nothing bad ever happens here, as statistics would show."

Maria smiled, and began to walk out of the room with her friend. Shadow lead the way, and she took much slower, more lagging steps. As he went out of the door, the only one in the ARK that opened in the strange 'V' shape it did, for unknown reasons, she lingered, partially in the deck area and partially out in the hall.

_Bad things happen, Shadow, and we can't stop them...I just hope you're ready when you realize that..._ She frowned just a little, as she thought.

"Maria..? Are you coming?"

She jerked her head around to look at him, and her grin returned. For him, she could smile; he worried when she didn't, and often told the Professor in case she was ill. Then they would both fret over her to no end.

"Yes...I'm coming.." She came up beside him, taking hold of his hand and they walked down the halls of ARK together.

* * *

Alright then, that's a wrap people! :) The fourth, well...third, chapter is finished, and I have two or so left to go. So praise me and I might grace you with their presence! Oh, almost forgot! -glomps Shadow- There you go, with love from LGG!!

Shadow: AGH!! Get off me!! I must tend to my queen!!

Maria: -propped up on pillows- Really Shadow, you don't have to go through all this trouble....I'm fine!!

Shadow: NONESENSE, MY PRECIOUS!!! -fans her-

Knuckles: -raises eyebrow- You're so obsessive... -clutches Master Emerald-

Shadow: Can you talk?

Sonic: -sniff- How could you cook Cream, Shadow?! She was the cuuuute little one!! The irrestibly cute oneeeeee!! i---i

Shadow: Well, I turned the oven up to 350, basted her, and--

Sonic: NOOOO!!! -covers ears- I'm not listening, la la la!! I'm not listening, la la la!! I'm not listening, la la la!! I'm not listening, la la la!! I'm not listening, la la la!!

Ugh... -rolls eyes- Don't forget to review guys, I don't want to be stuck here with these lunatics and have nothing to do or read!! i--i


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